Understanding the New York-New England Rivalry

As we all know, tomorrow is "Super Bowl Sunday" and the New York Football Giants will meet the New England Patriots in the 46th installment of the most watched (and most paid to be watched) game of the calendar year.

For the last two weeks, people have been nauseated with Super Bowl coverage as every possible story line has been exhausted. One of them has been the rivalry between Boston and New York. To be honest, I don't understand how it works in this situation.

I am the fortunate curse of being the product of two regionally diverse parents. My mother and her family from New England, my father and his from New Jersey. This created a divide in my rooting interests for each of the Big Four sports, something that has gotten me ridiculed by many of my friends. I am a die-hard Red Sox, Devils, Celtics, and NY Giants fan. So for days like February 5th, 2012, this creates a strong divide in my household.

Despite being regionally-challenged, I don't understand the need for media members to play up the New York-Boston rivalry this week. To me, it honestly doesn't apply. Let's be serious here, how are the Giants and Patriots bitter enemies? Just because the Giants ended a perfect season run by New England four years ago?

In football, the biggest rivals are the Cowboys/Eagles for the Giants and the Jets for New England. So explain to me how I should hate the Patriots with a passion (and why Jets fans are so reluctant to root for Giants. Actually don't, I really don't wanna hear you bitch and moan).

In basketball, don't the Lakers rise up more fire than the Knicks? And for the Knicks, didn't you have bitter battles with Miami before the Celtics? On the ice, I have never felt any bit of discontent with the Bruins. Nowhere near the level of a Montreal or Toronto (but that's personal). For the Rangers, isn't it the Devils or the Flyers that really get your stomach turning? I won't even bring up the Islanders here.

And then, there's the greatest rivalry in sports. The Yankees and the Red Sox have been bitter enemies for more than 100 years, and their fans put together some of the best shouting matches in baseball. But how does this carry over to other sports? It truly doesn't make sense to me.

If it's a battle between cities, Boston wins no contest. The people are nicer, the air is cleaner, the cost is cheaper, and the history is much more nostalgic. This is also coming from a country kid who really isn't fond of New York City, aside from the pizza, pretzels, steak, and ability to still have something to do at 11 pm on a Thursday. Seriously Beantown, closing down at nine during the week is like asking people to leave the game in the third quarter.

Maybe I'm not a "true" New Yorker or Bostonian. But ya know what, I'm ok with that. Last night, I was happy the Celtics won, not because they beat the Knicks, but because they are 7-1 in their last eight. When the Devils beat the Bruins, it's a feeling of "Thank, God they won" not "Yeah! Suck it Bruins!". Tomorrow, if the Giants win I'll rejoice seeing my favorite football team win a fourth title. If they lose, I won't be devastated as if Dallas of Philly just destroyed any hopes of the playoffs like DeSean Jackson did last year.

However, come April, 20, when the Yanks and Sawx renew their age-old rivalry, I will be at Fenway and I will curse any human being in pinstripes. Why? Because that is the only REAL New York-New England rivalry worth getting worked up about. The rest of this stuff, doesn't make sense to me. But maybe that's cause my parents gave me the influence of both regions, and it's really hard to hate family.